The Microsoft Ultimate Limited Offer 2007 Program set sail on 26 February 2007 and has been shipping the latest Office Suite to students at a reduced price. While there is nothing novel in offering academic versions of software, Microsoft’s Program takes a revolutionary approach that could be a forefront to something much greater.

The Program

From downunder Australia, we have news of Microsoft’s test-drive Program that makes the latest Office 2007 Suite so cutting-price, well, it might as just be free. We compare it with the retail prices:

• Retail price of Office 2007 Pro: AUD$785 (incl GST)
• Retail price of Office 2007 Pro Academic: AUD$279 (incl GST)
• Retail price of Office 2007 Ultimate: AUD$1,050 (incl GST)
• The Program price of Office 2007 Ultimate: AUD$75 (incl GST)

There are two catches to the AUD$975 saving:

1. only a student enrolled in an Australian university is eligible; and
2. the student obtains a ‘media-less licence’ and delivery of the software is by download only.

But get this - the software is not a home, student or academic version. It is in fact, Office 2007 Ultimate per se, feature-packed, with the full extent of functionality and without the ‘student’ and ‘academic’ label. Plus, it is ‘lifetime licence’ with no limitations of use, and (please seek independent advice) can even be sold on the terms of the licence.

If you are a university student, you could also be running around with a legitimate CD-R copy of Office Ultimate 2007 for this unbelievable price. Visit the official website of the Program at www.itsnotcheating.com.au while it runs for three months until 26 May 2007.

Truly Affordable

The average full-time Australian university student tackles 4 to 6 subjects per semester. This makes it difficult to secure a flexible and good income job. A study has found that 1 in 10 students skip some classes because they cannot afford travel costs. Facing average course fees of AUD$4,700 per semester, a student accumulates a huge debt under the Commonwealth Supported program which has deferred repayment, but does need to be repaid.

Arguably, university students are a group in Australia’s population who are very susceptible to financial hardship. Many work as a casual assistant at the local supermarket. It is a wonder how they could afford even the staple software for a university assignment: Windows Vista Home Basic (AUD$340) and Microsoft Office Home & Student 2007 ($AUD230).

But under the Program, a student can now score a legitimate copy of Office 2007 Ultimate by working 6 to 8 hours.

Fighting Piracy

“Microsoft estimated in 2002 that about half the 300 million copies of Office in use at the time were pirated.” How many of those copies were being used by students who could not afford it? By making Office 2007 truly affordable, there is now little or no incentive to pirate it. In China, a group of software companies made a similar approach by reducing software prices to all consumers.

Tech Crater favours Microsoft’s Program, because it specifically targets a population who are:

1. often financially hardened;
2. in real need of the software; and
3. actively trying to develop skills and enter the workforce.

By providing unlimited licences, we feel it is like a true investment in the future thinkers and builders of Australia!

Discover Your Talent

The tradition with academic versions of software has been a lower price but limited or reduced functionality. We have seen Office 2003 Student and Teacher Edition (without Publisher and Access), and the MYOB Academic Version which sells for less than AUD$10 (useless for running a real business). Another example is Maya, a CG effects software used in the recent productions of Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and Ghost Rider. Maya offers its retail versions as follows:

• Autodesk Maya Complete (without superior digital content tools) 8.5 Educational: AUD$470.80
• Autodesk Maya Unlimited (full features) 8.5 Educational: AUD$706.20

The cheapest retail offering of Maya is barely affordable by a student, and even then it is a feature-limited version. On the other hand, the full feature version which has tools heavily relied upon by the movie industry sells at an unrealistic price.

There appears to be a mindset that because students are often less technical, less experienced, their software do not need ‘high-end’ features. Advanced features (or ‘power toys’ to a student) are removed which otherwise would be experimented (or ‘mucked around with’) with out of curiosity. This inhibits the discovery of talent and artistry that is made possible when ‘mucking around with’ the software. A student may realise they have amazing talent in understanding and managing databases using Access, or is able to create stunning visuals at movie quality.

In our view, Microsoft’s Program restores this opportunity of discovery. If Microsoft continues this course of approach, other leading software developers may soon follow,

Delayed Impact

Realistically, there is nothing too solid to be excited about yet as the test-drive Program is limited only to Australia and limited in time. Microsoft would need to show an unmistakeable approach with all current and future products to become a leader of investing in our future workers and builders. If Tech Crater has correctly divined the intention of Microsoft, we may not be far off from an era of ground-breaking discoveries of, inter alia, talent and artistry.